| Jaguar XJR-9 | |
|---|---|
 The 198824 hours of Le Mans winning XJR-9 on display at the British Motor Museum | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | |
| Production | 1988–1989 |
| Assembly | United Kingdom:Kidlington,Oxfordshire |
| Designer | Tony Southgate forTWR[1] |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Racing car |
| Body style | 2-doorCoupé |
| Layout | Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
| Related | |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 6.0 L 60 degreeJaguar V12 (IMSA) 7.0 L 60 degreeJaguar V12 (WSPC) |
| Transmission | 5-speedmanual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,780 mm (109.4 in)[1][2] |
| Length | 4,780 mm (188.2 in) |
| Width | 2,000 mm (78.7 in) |
| Height | 1,100 mm (43.3 in) |
| Kerb weight | 880 kg (1,940 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Jaguar XJR-8 |
| Successor |
|
TheJaguar XJR-9 is asports-prototyperace car built byJaguar for bothFIAGroup C andIMSACamel GTP racing. In 1988, Jaguar's XJR-9 won the24 Hours of Le Mans, after debuting that year at the24 Hours of Daytona.
An evolution of the design for theXJR-8, the XJR-9 was designed byTony Southgate, built byTom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) and featured a Jaguar 7.0-litreV12 engine based on the production 5.3-litre engine as used in theJaguar XJS road car.[3] A variant of the XJR-9, the XJR-9LM, would be developed specifically for the24 Hours of Le Mans where the requirement for high straight line speeds on theMulsanne Straight necessitated a low-drag aerodynamic package.
In the United States, theCastrol sponsored XJR-9s debuted at the24 Hours of Daytona, with the car taking the overall win. However, throughout the rest of the IMSA Camel GTP season the XJR-9 was unable to gain another win until the final race of the season, meaning the team had to settle for third in the constructor's championship. In the1988 World Sports Prototype Championship, the XJR-9, runningSilk Cut sponsorship, met with more success. The XJR-9 was able to take six victories, including the24 Hours of Le Mans, over the eleven race series. Silk Cut Jaguar won the Teams Championship and Jaguar driverMartin Brundle won the Drivers title. Jaguar's success at Le Mans marked the first time since 1980 that Porsche had not won Le Mans, and the first Le Mans victory for Jaguar since1957.
For 1989, the XJR-9 was again entered in bothIMSA Camel GTP and theWorld Sports Prototype Championship. However, the XJR-9 was by now dated, and in IMSA was being repeatedly beaten byNissan, leaving the XJR-9 with only a single win on the season. This led to Jaguar introducing theXJR-10 midway through the season, which met with slightly better success having two wins on the season and usually placing higher than the XJR-9 it ran with. At the end of the season, Jaguar finished 2nd in the championship.
A similar story occurred in the1989 World Sports Prototype Championship, with Jaguar not winning a single race during the series. Midway through the championship, theXJR-11 was developed to replace the XJR-9, although both finished out the season. This disappointment led to Jaguar finishing fourth in the Teams Championship.
Within months of Jaguar's 1988 Le Mans victory, TWR would use the XJR-9 chassis for the development of the R9R prototype which by 1990 had evolved into theXJR-15 sports car andspec-racer.
In 2010, the car won theLe Mans Legend race.
Engine
Drivetrain
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